We’ve made it through a little over a week at home with Baby H and we are learning a lot about what she likes, dislikes, and what is absolutely imperative for surviving with a newborn in the house! Because it can be so hard to decide what you really need those first few days, I thought I’d put together a round up of what items have been essential for us this past week.

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1. OXO Tooli light: We bought this light for the nursery but are currently using it in our bedroom since Baby H is sleeping with us. It sits on the dresser right next to our bed and provides a soft glow all night long. Since it doesn’t get hot, I can also grab it and put it next to me while I’m feeding Baby H if I need more light.

2. Pampers Swaddlers: We are all set up to cloth diaper but I didn’t want to make the investment in newborn sized cloth diapers. And, with a brand new baby on hand, doing a lot of extra laundry wasn’t high on the priority list. We’ll continue using disposables until she fits into the cloth diapers we have, and in the grand scheme of things, this has made life much more manageable in these early days!

3. Gerber Side-Snap Shirts: I actually saw these recommended here on Hellobee. I bought two of them but wish I had a lot more! We were very limited on two-piece outfits for Baby H and these little shirts with a pair of pants were the easiest thing to dress her in while waiting for her umbilical cord to fall off.

4. Medela Nipple Shield: It was quite a surprise to learn after giving birth that I apparently have flat nipples. Which means that Baby H had some difficulty with latching, as the nipple goes flat in her mouth. The lactation consultant at the hospital gave me one of these nipple shields, and I’ve since bought a couple more to have extras on hand. These have been a lifesaver – she nurses like a champ with the shield! We are slowly working on having some nursing sessions without using the shield (when baby is very alert and not fussy), but would not be nursing as well as we are without it.

5. Pants: With a few pairs of pants and the side-snap shirts, Baby H was all set with easy outfits for the first week.

6. NoseFrida Snotsucker: It sounds disgusting, but this nasal aspirator works so much better than the bulb they give you at the hospital. Baby H has been a bit congested since leaving the hospital, so we have (sadly) gotten a lot of use out of this. It’s hard to watch her fuss as we use it, but she breathes so much better once we’re done!

7. Prunes: Ok, this one is for the moms! I’ve always thought that prunes were absolutely disgusting (I’m a terribly picky eater), but once we were home from the hospital I started eating these out of necessity. They’ve actually started to grow on me a little bit. Regardless, I would much rather eat something natural than take a laxative, and after giving birth you can use a little bit of help in that department.

8. Summer Infant Sleeper: I had heard a lot about co-sleepers but didn’t think we’d need one. Until, of course, the first couple of nights at home with a squirmy, crying baby who didn’t want to be on her own. We literally survived two nights at home before buying this! It goes on our bed right between Mr. H and I and has worked perfectly. It’s a tight fit having this co-sleeper in our queen sized bed, but it’s so convenient for nursing in the night and I think Baby H likes having both of us so close!

9. Snugabunny Bouncer Seat: Having a bouncer to put Baby H in for short periods of time as been great. She does especially well in it in the mornings while I eat breakfast, and most days will do well in it while we eat dinner.

10. Moby Wrap: We have a sling and a more traditional carrier as well, but the Moby Wrap is going to be our favorite I think. Mr. H actually tackled using it first and then I tried it out for the first time on a walk. It’s awesome! She stays so warm and snuggly in it and for short trips out around the neighborhood it’s much easier to use the Moby than to drag out our stroller.

At the end of the day if we didn’t have anything besides what I’ve listed above, we probably would have survived the first week just fine. The hospital sends you home with a bunch of blankets that you can use for swaddling if needed, as well as diapers, wipes and extra hats. With a nursery full of clothes, rattles and everything else under the sun, we haven’t really needed much except for the essentials.

So the snotsucker is awesome, huh? I’ve heard people rave about it but my husband is all, “we get a bulb thingie for that!” I’m trying to convince him it’s a necessity. That nightlight is fun, too. I might have put it on my Amazon wish list for the time being.

I think I’d have most of those things on my first week essentials too. Good for you for working on getting rid of the nipple shield. I have inverted nipples and was able to get rid of the shield when baby Stroller was right around 2 weeks old. It was a whole new, easier world not to have to use that thing!

@mediagirl: the nose frida is awesome! The bulb is really more of a bath toy, no? Read the reviews on the Windi, if you need a good laugh

@mediagirl: Get the snotsucker and your husband will come around! Mr. H thinks it’s the best thing ever, especially when baby girl is so stuffy The bulb doesn’t help at all, so we’d have a very stuffy baby without this.

@Mrs. Stroller: Yes, the shields are so annoying! I feel it really limits me with nursing (especially when I was starting out) because I have to get the shield in place first. I can’t wait until we don’t have to use it anymore!

@Mrs. Blue: I can definitely do a post on co-sleeping. I used to think it definitely wasn’t for us but it has turned out to be a lifesaver!

A coworker raves about the snot sucker and already told me it’s part of my shower gift! My sister also agrees on the Moby wrap! Thanks for sharing, I’m going to have to look into these side snap onsies!